The Associated Press
• Promoting an album kills creativity, says Ed Sheeran, preferring to watch a World Cup game rather than talk about X, the anticipated follow-up to his 2011 debut, +. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter is drained and distracted from talking up the new album, out Monday, across the country. "It has to be done," he shrugs, one ear on the U.S.-Ghana game. The English performer prefers the other parts of his job, writing songs and playing live. He created more than 100 songs to get the 12 tracks on X, which he pronounces "multiply." He also worked with a handful of hit-making producers -- Pharrell, Benny Blanco, Jeff Bhasker and Rick Rubin -- to craft a broader, more radio-friendly sound. "It's weird because they're more polished producers but it's a more raw sound," Sheeran said, "so I think they brought an element of rawness to it." It's also funkier than his folksy debut, which has sold more than 800,000 units and earned him a pair of Grammy nominations. A clear example is the Pharrell-produced Top 15 single, "Sing," which has earned comparisons to Justin Timberlake for its dance beat and falsetto vocals. Sheeran appreciates the association. "He's a very talented person, and I've listened to Justified a lot," Sheeran said in an interview last week. "I definitely took influence from that."
• A home owned by talk show host Conan O'Brien has been removed from a Rhode Island auction after he paid some back taxes on the property. Town officials told The Westerly Sun that O'Brien paid his $8,000 bill Friday morning. The property near the Westerly shore is valued at about $723,000. It was among several the town planned to auction today to settle delinquent tax bills. O'Brien publicist Drew Shane issued a statement saying O'Brien had been unaware he owed back taxes. He blamed the problem on a clerical error that prevented the bill from reaching O'Brien's accountant in Los Angeles. The 51-year-old O'Brien grew up in neighboring Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard.
A Section on 06/24/2014